Babe in Toyland with Karen O'Brien

The Show Calendar section of Toy Shop magazine keeps you informed as to the toy shows in your area. The Show Calendar lists all types of shows including those devoted to specific subjects like farm toys, trains, dolls, die-cast, etc.

It’s free to list shows in the Show Calendar, so check the magazine and send in flyers for any show that we don’t have listed. Send show information to: Toy Shop Show Calendar, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990.

Here’s a selection of toy shows happening around the country this weekend:

September 1-2

21st Annual Abe’s Lincoln Land Farm Toy Show

Best Western at I-55 & Rt. 108, exit 60

Carlinville, Illinois

Hours: Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 3pm

For info call: (570) 522-7038

22nd Annual Farm Toy Show

New Ulm Civic Center

1212 N. Franklin

New Ulm, Minnesota

Hours: Saturday from 9am to 4pm, Sunday from 10 am to 4pm

For info call: (507) 877-5585

Sunday, September 2

Central Illinois Hot Wheels Club Monthly Swap Meet

YWCA-Cakeview Ctr.

1013 W. Lake Ave

Peoria, Illinois

Hours: 1pm to 3:30 pm

For info call Shane (309) 444-5463

28th Annual Toy & Doll Show

Business & Technology College Exhibit Hall

1775 Universal Ave., I-435 & Front St., Exit 57

Kansas City, Missouri

Hours: 9am to 3pm

For info call Scott and Mindy Condray (785) 243-7724

Toy & Collectible Show

Co. #1 Fireman’s Hall

Rt 23N, Lincoln Park exit to Parish Dr.

Hours: 8am to 3pm

For info call: Phil De Mario (973) 726-9897

Collector Toy & Train Show

Farmers Market Complex, Rt. 61 & Arlington St.

Leesport, Pennsylvania

Hours: 8am to 1pm

For info call: Charles Gallagher (610) 488-6621

Monday, September 3

20th Annual Toy Show (farm toys)

Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds

Goshen, Indiana

Hours: 9am to 3pm

For info call: (574) 831-3484

Annual “Luck of the Irish” Toy Show (farm toys)

Chapman High School Multi-Purpose Room

Chapman, Kansas

Hours: 10am to 5pm

For info call: (785) 388-2541

Remember to support your local toy shows!

Toy Shows

8/30/2007 4:41:01 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Found it. Didn’t buy it. Looking for it.
Posted by toy

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me a story about finding a treasured childhood toy in a flea market AND walking away WITHOUT buying it, I’d have a different vintage car to drive to work every day of the month. No, really!

This morning’s caller described the very situation above—she found a children’s book that she had in her youth and somehow walked away from the table without buying it. That was three years ago, and she’s spent the last two years researching children’s books in the effort to find this particular one—with no success. She has no idea of the title, no idea who wrote it, and not a clue as to which company published the book.

What does she know? It was a hardcover book and not a Little Golden, or Bonnie Book, or anything else commonly collected. She remembers that the story was about a boy named Jonny, who had a number of playtime adventures including playing cowboy.

What advice would you give her in her search?

8/29/2007 11:01:29 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

Monday, August 27, 2007

1:18-Scale Price Guide
Posted by toy

It’s always a pleasure to receive mail from Toy Shop columnist, Mark Rich. As you know, Mark writes Toy Shop’s "Q & A" column where readers submit questions about every toy imaginable and Mark uncovers the toy’s identity and the history of the company that produced it. I confess, "Q & A" is the first thing I read when I receive the latest issue – you just never know what Mark will discover next.

This week, Mark forwarded a book question to me from Mr. Conner in Florida. Mr. Conner is a fan of 1:18-scale die-cast cars and inquired as to the existence of a price/identification guide for those toy vehicles.

I have good and bad news. The good news is that Krause Publications did publish such a guide -- the Standard Guide to 1:18-Scale Die-Cast Cars (ISBN: 0-87349-645-0) was authored by Merry Dudley, editor of Toy Cars & Models magazine. It is the only reference offering comprehensive coverage of 1:18-scale cars. The bad news is that it was published in 2003 and has sold out of its print run.

The best way to obtain a copy is to contact your local library. Inter-library loan programs in most states should be able to net you a copy to borrow.

Do you collect 1:18-scale cars? Would you like to see a 2nd edition of the book released? Click on “Comments” below and let me know!

8/27/2007 8:12:22 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, August 23, 2007

Toys & Prices 2008 Sneak Peek
Posted by toy

I promised more information on the upcoming (2008) edition of Toys & Prices, and I’m a woman of my word.

It’s always fun to bring toys from my collection into our photo studio. Most of the time we photograph them from the most easily identifiable angles, because one of the primary functions of our books is to assist with the identification of toys. But on occasion, the photos are going to have a special purpose and we allow ourselves a little fun.

Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man, and Jamie Sommers, the Bionic Woman, are 1970s television (and Kenner toys) icons, and I couldn’t think of a better pair to grace the back cover of the new edition. So here they are, enjoy!

8/23/2007 4:43:11 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Fisher-Price Music Box TV
Posted by toy

I received this question via email today:

"Hello, I would like to know about the value of a small Fisher Price Music Box TV, not in the pkg., and working well. Thank You. "

The Fisher-Price Music Box TV debuted in 1966. The toy played two tunes and showed their stories as the screen moved when the box was wound up. One of their most popular toys, it was produced for the next 18 years. It is not, therefore, considered rare and loose examples like the one you describe go for around $10. An unplayed-with toy still in the box from 1966 would be worth around $25.

Do you collect Fisher-Price? What is your favorite Fisher-Price find?

8/22/2007 9:07:53 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Pricing?
Posted by toy

I received an email yesterday from a gentleman seeking a “ recent and credible book on action figures - with complete listings and current prices.” Aware of Toys & Prices, his email went on to request information as to how the prices published in the book are derived.

It’s a reasonable question and one that takes an entire year to answer. Because it is an annual title, work on Toys & Prices never stops. It’s a constant process of paying attention to auction results, the prices dealers are offering at shows, the prices collectors inform me that they’ve paid for particular items, and now that the Internet is such a large part of our hobby, I also pay attention to online dealers and online auction activity. A dedicated team of hobby experts does the same thing in their particular areas of interest, and they report their pricing recommendations to me.

So an entire year’s worth of observation and participation in toy collecting by many, many people around the U.S. contribute to the prices you see in print each year. And I am very grateful to the generous folks in this hobby who take time to keep me informed.

You’re welcome to join in – just click on “Comments” below and let me know what specific toys are going for in your area.

8/21/2007 5:08:05 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Orphan Auto Picnic Postponed
Posted by toy

Just heard that due to rain the Orphan Auto Picnic has been rescheduled from the 19th to its rain date of August 26.

Car Shows

8/18/2007 7:02:40 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Friday, August 17, 2007

"Orphan" Auto Picnic
Posted by toy

A few years ago, my dad and his friends (all old car fans and Old Cars Weekly readers, of course) attended an “Orphan” car show, and they came back with great stories about the show and the fabulous array of discontinued “Orphan” cars that appeared. He called last night to let me know that they’re going to this year’s event on Sunday – too bad I can’t go, my Olds Cutlass would be welcome.

“Orphans” are cars produced by companies that are no longer in business like Hudson, Nash, Kaiser, American Motors, and Packard among many others.

The Chicagoland Corvair Enthusiasts club hosts the show, and unlike the more formal settings of most shows, this one is a friendly backyard picnic. Literally. Bring your own lawn chairs and a picnic lunch, the club has grilles available for you to cook burgers and hot dogs (in other words, bring your own meat).

This year’s picnic is this Sunday, August 19, and if you’re in the vicinity, don’t miss it. Here’s the information:

17th Annual Orphan Auto Picnic

Sunday, August 19, 2007

11am to 5pm

1020 Aurora Ave.

Aurora, IL

Check out the website for directions and other information:

www.ccecorvair.com/OAP

Car Shows

8/17/2007 1:32:56 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Gotta Love Fridays!
Posted by toy

How do you make it through work on a gorgeous Friday? Let’s face it, on these last few beautiful Fridays of summer, you’d rather be anywhere than at work. And the clock is no help, ‘cause quitting time is hours away.

I’ve discovered the secret to not only make it through my Friday, but to make the day fly by. How? No, I haven’t discovered a rift in the space/time continuum or anything that dramatic and cool -- I devote Fridays to my favorite annual project, Toys & Prices. Because the book is published at the same time every year, I have to work on it constantly and there’s no better way to make a Friday fly by than to select a chapter and dig into the history of the toys we collect.

The 2008 edition of the title is in the works and I’ll have more info as we get closer to sending it to the printer. For now, I’m off to see what the designer has in store for the Action Figures chapter. I added a ton of photos to that chapter for 2008 and I’m sure the designer is having a fun time stuffing them all in.

8/17/2007 11:02:19 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Monday, August 13, 2007

Toy Soldiers
Posted by toy

An email came in this morning from a lady in Chicago’s northwest suburbs requesting information as to where she could sell her 75 (or so) Barclay toy soldiers.

If you’re familiar with the toy soldier community, you know that she’s in luck – one of the largest toy soldier shows in the country is held each September in Chicago’s northwest suburbs.

Though I’ve yet to attend myself (it’s on my travel “wish list” for sure), I’ve heard glowing reports about this show. Here is this year’s information:

Chicago Toy Soldier Show

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Hyatt Regency Woodfield

1800 East Golf Rd.

Schaumburg, IL

(847) 605-1234

The show is open from 10am to 3:30pm and admission is $7.

For more information check out their website:

www.toysoldiershow.com

Or contact Don Pielin via email at: Dimestores@aol.com

Have you been to this show? Click “Comments” and let us know more about it!

Toy Shows

8/13/2007 5:11:08 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Sunday, August 12, 2007

Welcome to Toyland!
Posted by toy

Hello toy collectors and welcome to the online extension of my column, “Leave it to Karen.” So why not just entitle the blog with the same name? The monthly column is dedicated to a single toy topic, and as you’ll see in the days ahead, this blog will stretch from one end of the hobby to the other.

As many of you know, I am also the editor of toy books for Krause Publications, an imprint of Toy Shop’s parent company F+W Publications. I receive so many phone calls, emails, and letters from toy collectors and from folks just looking for more information about their toys, that this is the perfect venue to share their knowledge and questions. I’ll also keep everyone up to date with my latest book projects.

Different content isn’t the only reason for the blog’s title. I grew up going to toy shows with my dad, and trust me, a kid walking through the doors of a toy show feels exactly like Jane and Alan in Victor Herbert’s timeless musical, Babes in Toyland, when they first arrive in the magical Toyland. Of course, the toys aren’t alive at toy shows (not that I’ve seen as of yet), but I still get the same sense of wonder when taking my first steps into every toy show.

You’ll recognize the wind-up soldier in the banner as one of Linemar's Babes in Toyland releases. So the title is really a tribute to this incredible hobby and all of the terrific collectors, dealers, and enthusiasts that share the same enthusiasm for “Toyland.”

What are your favorite toy topics? Do you collect pressed steel, die-cast, tin wind-ups, battery-operated toys, cap pistols, cast-i ron or something else? Just click on the word “Comments” below and start typing!

8/12/2007 7:34:24 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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